Chapter 111: Oh no, I've been discovered!

Following her memory of where she killed Xu Sirui yesterday, Ruan Xing returned to Yaoguang Peak.

However, the scene before her eyes was as if nothing had ever happened, leaving her dumbfounded.

Not only was Xu Sirui's corpse gone, but even the blood that had splattered onto the stone path and the nearby shrubbery leaves had vanished without a trace.

She couldn't help but wonder if she had accidentally clicked to end the Simulation and reloaded to the previous day.

Looking at the Simulator in her mind and taking out her broken Sword, she confirmed that she had indeed killed Xu Sirui here yesterday.

At this moment, her head was full of question marks.

Who could have discovered the body and covered this up? On Yaoguang Peak, the only one capable of such a thing would likely be the Peak Master...

She suddenly felt that things were extremely tricky.

Just as Ruan Xing was thinking of the Peak Master, the Peak Master drifted over from afar, looking at Ruan Xing with an indifferent tone and a calm expression, "I didn't expect you to return."

So it really was the Peak Master? Ruan Xing felt a bit flustered and said with a sheepish smile, "Peak Master, why wouldn't I be able to return?"

"Mutual slaughter among fellow disciples is a crime punishable by death," Qinghong Zhenjun spat out these eight words with resonance.

However, she did not act immediately; instead, a trace of confusion appeared between her brows.

"If you hadn't returned, I would have considered it as repaying the favor to Junior Brother Wen and cleaned up this mess for you. But since you have returned, I must ask you: what grudge did you have with Xu Sirui, and why did you kill her?"

This was also something she found deeply puzzling. Yesterday, while she was drinking tea and chatting with Qingmeng Daojun on Tianyan Peak, her gaze had been fixed on Ruan Xing, watching her from the moment she used a Dharma Artifact to disguise her figure.

In her view, Ruan Xing's goal was very clear, without a single superfluous movement: disguise, tracking, attack, escape.

The strike was decisive and ruthless, and there was even a helper she hadn't noticed, which meant she couldn't intervene in time to save Xu Sirui.

However, that was not important; it was just that Ruan Xing's actions gave her an illusion.

It was as if Ruan Xing had come to Central Province specifically to kill Xu Sirui.

But that was impossible. Xu Sirui was not an important figure, and if she wanted to kill her, wouldn't it be more convenient to do so when she left the Sect? Why act inside the Sect?

Qinghong Zhenjun slightly raised her hand, and a massive storm seemed to be gathering around her.

"If you give me a suitable reason, I can let you go one more time and allow you to leave this place."

Ruan Xing smiled bitterly. She hadn't expected the Peak Master to have been monitoring her in secret all along. She certainly couldn't tell her about killing Elder Xu, Xu Sixi, and the others—that would be pure suicide. Unable to think of a good reason, she could only shake her head and say, "There is no reason, I just wanted to kill her."

"So it is truly like that," Qinghong Zhenjun sighed at length. "Do you have any last words?"

It seemed her life in this Simulation couldn't be saved, but fortunately, it was only ten points. After thinking for a moment, Ruan Xing decided to ask for clarity.

"Peak Master," Ruan Xing said with a sorrowful face, "Since the Peak Master wants me dead, may I ask two questions so that I may die with understanding?"

Qinghong Zhenjun's tolerance for her was quite high, perhaps out of respect for Elder Wen, so she nodded lightly upon hearing this.

"Speak."

Ruan Xing lowered her eyes, her pupils darting quickly, and asked, "There are nearly a hundred Registered Disciples on Yaoguang Peak. The Peak Master cannot keep an eye on everyone, so why me?"

There was a moment of silence; she seemed to find it difficult to speak.

Although she was good friends with Qingmeng Daojun, she had always held the attitude that one should only believe in the Art of Heaven's Derivation if it proved true. Before Ruan Xing came to Central Province, she had received two messages simultaneously: first, that Qingmeng Daojun had calculated an anomaly in Nanzhou and found Ruan Xing to be the variable; second, a message from Junior Brother Wen saying his time was near and he likely wouldn't use this favor in his lifetime, so he asked her to help look after a junior instead.

She had hesitated for less than half a day before deciding to help Junior Brother Wen and brought Ruan Xing to Yaoguang Peak.

She hadn't expected Ruan Xing to be so disappointing, fulfilling that prophecy so quickly.

Qinghong Zhenjun said indifferently, "Qingmeng Daojun of Tianyan Peak once cast a fortune for you, saying that in the future, you would betray your master and ancestors and bring chaos to the Sect. That is why I have been watching you since the first day you arrived at Yaoguang Peak."

It was because of such a reason? Ruan Xing was somewhat surprised. "But the future is not set in stone!"

She had chosen branching paths hundreds of times in the Simulations; even the slightest change would lead to completely different results.

Perhaps one choice might make her a demon, but in her mind, she had always firmly chosen Cultivation.

She hadn't expected to inherit the original owner's reputation as a "lone star of heavenly disaster" and have to walk that path again.

"But you have already fulfilled it by slaughtering a fellow disciple for no reason on your first day at the Sect." A trace of faint anger seemed to appear on Qinghong Zhenjun's face.

"Fine, then my last question." Ruan Xing paused, looked fearlessly into Qinghong Zhenjun's eyes, and said earnestly, "If none of this had happened today, and I were no different from the thousands of other members of the Xuanbing Sect—loving my fellow disciples and practicing diligently—would you treat me as an ordinary Registered Disciple? Would you teach me techniques and guide my Cultivation?"

"No," Qinghong Zhenjun answered without hesitation or thought. "But I would ensure you a safe and smooth life, free from any grievances."

She would not give Ruan Xing the chance to grow up and bring chaos to the Sect, but she would not allow others to harm her because of a prophecy either.

Ruan Xing burst into laughter as if she had heard a joke. "So this is what you call looking after me!"

A Foundation Establishment Cultivator only has a lifespan of two hundred years. To a big shot like Qinghong Zhenjun, that was nothing more than a snap of the fingers. Was locking her on Yaoguang Peak for two hundred years supposed to be "looking after" her?

Instead, she felt that Qinghong Zhenjun was even more detestable than Qingyuan Daojun in the previous Simulation. Qingyuan Daojun had only marginalized her and ignored her, but when she wanted to leave the Xuanbing Sect, she hadn't faced any obstruction or harm, and she had lived safely in Dongzhou for nearly a hundred years.

The only threat was being expelled from the Sect for not following orders.

Ruan Xing closed her eyes. Qinghong Zhenjun's movements were fast; she didn't feel any pain, and the Simulation ended.

Waking up in the soft little nest in the treehouse, Ruan Xing angrily punched the side of the bed, causing the entire treehouse to sway shakily as if it were a swing.

It served them right to be played for fools by Demon Cultivators a dozen years later. She was just a small character; why cast a fortune for her? Why didn't they cast a fortune for the Demon Cultivators and predict when they would occupy Nanzhou in a dozen years?

It was fortunate she didn't have the strength now, otherwise she would have beaten them all up and made them obediently hand over the subsequent techniques of the Tongxuan Scripture. Wasn't her main purpose in coming to Central Province to obtain the Golden Core Stage techniques? It made her so angry she felt like clawing at her heart. At worst, she would just leave the Xuanbing Sect and switch to other techniques. Even if switching was difficult, with a few hundred Simulations, it would be done in the blink of an eye.

However, to switch techniques, she definitely had to earn money first.

Speaking of which, she was a bit reluctant to let go; the Tongxuan Scripture was the only high-level technique she could currently access, and it had a complete acquisition channel. Some small sects had broken lineages, and even their Sect Masters didn't have techniques above the Spirit Severing stage to practice.

Sigh.

Ruan Xing sighed secretly. Qinghong Zhenjun was still watching her quietly. It was fortunate she hadn't summoned the Sword directly when she first arrived at Yaoguang Peak. It seemed she would have to wrong him by letting him stay in the Storage Bag for a while longer, and wait until she had a chance to leave the Sect to let him out.

As for now, she would temporarily maintain the behavior expected of a normal Cultivator.

This trip to Central Province couldn't be in vain; at the very least, she had to gain something. Even if she couldn't get the Golden Core Stage techniques, learning a side profession would be good. She could earn some money through the side profession and then go simulate a technique switch.

Although the Peak Master hadn't been of any practical help to her, she still appreciated Elder Wen's good intentions, because she felt that Elder Wen and the Sect Master likely didn't know about Qingmeng Daojun's prophecy at all.

After all, the two of them were still under investigation... Most of the high-level members of the Sect must already know about the losses from the Jin Tai Secret Realm trip. The reason there hadn't been any punishment yet was mainly because they hadn't finished deliberating, and the remaining people hadn't returned yet. Once those people returned to Central Province, they would likely be formally judged.

Although she didn't know how many years Elder Wen had left, she knew that because his Spirit Bone was damaged, he had no hope for the Nascent Soul stage, which was why he went to Nanzhou to retire. She hoped Elder Wen could hold on for a few more years; by then, when her alchemy skill level was higher, she could refine a Longevity Pill for Elder Wen to repay his kindness and let him stay in the world for a while longer.

Because of this, she would have to be a bit more low-key in reality and avoid the Xu Family.

Ruan Xing opened the character panel to check her remaining points, estimating how much it would cost to raise her alchemy to the Fifth-Tier and learn an additional artifact refining skill.

She skimmed over the preceding content, her gaze about to find the final line, when suddenly she was frozen in place by a few unfamiliar words.

Name: Ruan Xing

Age: Seven years old

Skills: Gambling Entry, Talisman Making (Fourth-Tier), Dance Basics, Weaving Basics, Horsemanship Basics, Alchemy (Fourth-Tier), Lianyun Sword Art (Second Layer), Sword Control Technique, Illusion Technique (Second Layer), Dust-Gathering Technique, Bright Light Technique, Five Directions Movement (Water), Myriad Swords Return to Origin (Second Layer), Puppetry (First Layer) Cultivation Method: Blood Refining Art, Basic Qi Refining Mantra, Tongxuan Scripture

Realm: Foundation Establishment Perfection

Points: 5000 points. It was normal to have five thousand remaining; she had over six thousand left after finishing the 'little boy' last time, and after entering Xianyuan City, she had simulated a few more times, consuming one thousand points. Anyway, she still had over four thousand Spirit Stones on hand, so she would just top it up later.

However, the three characters for Puppetry in the skill column left her somewhat bewildered.

When did this skill appear?

In any case, it definitely wasn't there when she left Nanzhou.

That meant it must have been during her time at Jinxia Sect, but she had been too excited just after successfully crafting it and hadn't paid attention, so she couldn't recall clearly now.

Because the section on Puppetry in the Nether Ghost Record only contained one method of crafting, with no distinction between simple, difficult, low-tier, or high-tier, she had never considered it a skill. Moreover, she had crafted several puppets in the Jin Tai Secret Realm, and the Simulator had never displayed it as a skill.

So, what was the difference?

The self-destruct puppet she crafted at Jinxia Sect had runes different from those depicted in the manual; she had modified them, so did the Simulator support her improvement of Puppetry and count it as a skill? Then what was the deal with "First Layer"? The strength of a puppet had nothing to do with her crafting technique; the higher the strength of the puppet during its lifetime and the better the materials used, the more powerful the puppet would be.

Ruan Xing made a bold guess: the level of Puppetry was related to the variety of puppets.

Previously, Puppetry could only produce one type of puppet, but after her modification, she added a self-destruct puppet, hence it was First Layer.

As for whether this idea was correct, she would know once she had another inspiration and managed to improve or create another type of puppet in the future.

Her previously depressed mood became happy again upon seeing the new skill. Suppressing her excitement, she topped up two thousand Spirit Stones into the Simulator, watched as the points became a delightful twenty-five thousand, and then began the Text Simulation.

【Simulation in progress】

Seven years old: After arriving at Central Province Xuanbing Sect, you are assigned to Yaoguang Peak to become a Registered Disciple of Qinghong Zhenjun.

You decide to keep a low profile within the Sect, biding your time, and start with alchemy. You go to Alchemy Peak and ask other fellow disciples about the basic principles of alchemy. They very kindly tell you that after Alchemy is free to enter, every time you exchange for a new pill formula, you must hand over a multiple quantity of pills of the same tier, and you must provide the Spirit Herbs yourself. You gladly accept. After being assigned an unused pill cauldron, you pretend to be a beginner and start refining pills.

You no longer return to Yaoguang Peak, nor do you pay attention to other matters. Every day, you only buy Spirit Herbs, refine pills, and hand in pills. Your first batch of First-Tier pills comes out on your third day of alchemy. Fellow disciples exclaim in surprise that the quality is superior and that you have great talent for alchemy; you modestly state it is nothing special.

Subsequently, your progress is rapid. In just one month, you finish exchanging for all First-Tier pill formulas. The over two thousand Spirit Stones in your Storage Bag are enough to support you in exchanging for all Third-Tier pill formulas. Within just a few months, the look in your fellow disciples' eyes changes from admiration to worship.

Eight years old: You begin refining Fourth-Tier pills. Your Storage Bag is long since unable to make ends meet and is under heavy strain, so your speed slows down. You sell the pills you refine to exchange for Spirit Stones to buy Spirit Herbs, while also saving up to exchange for pill formulas. However, the only pill formula you know is the Flesh-Regenerating Pill, which does not have as much of a market as pills that assist in cultivation, so the quantity sold and traded each year is not high.

Eleven years old: You finally save enough pills of the same tier and exchange for a new Fourth-Tier pill formula. Within Xuanbing Sect, a legend begins to spread about an alchemy genius, and for some reason, Qinghong Zhenjun comes to see you several times, appearing hesitant to speak, her expression seemingly anxious and uneasy.

Thirteen years old: You obtain a third pill formula, for which you are overjoyed and begin refining pills even harder.

Twenty-one years old: Your Fourth-Tier pill refining becomes increasingly mature. You have a premonition that the opportunity to break through to the Fifth-Tier of alchemy is right before your eyes. You propose to the Sect that your current cultivation is somewhat inadequate for refining Fifth-Tier pills, and you hope to obtain a Golden Core Stage cultivation method to go into seclusion and break through. The Sect says they will consider it.

Twenty-two years old: The Sect still has not given you the cultivation method. You are somewhat impatient and decide to leave Xuanbing Sect. Shortly after leaving Xianyuan City, you are attacked by several unknown cultivators, and you die.

【Simulation ended】

Sigh... As expected, a Fourth-Tier alchemist cannot protect themselves with only Foundation Establishment cultivation. She does not know if those who attacked her were sent by the Sect, the Xu Family, or perhaps other forces. After all, a twenty-two-year-old Fourth-Tier alchemist, if not for that "fated destiny," would be a key focus of cultivation in any sect.

Perhaps the higher-ups of Xuanbing Sect even felt that letting her stay in Xuanbing Sect to refine pills properly was already doing their utmost, and yet she was ungrateful and dared to leave the Sect; she really had grown wings.

Ruan Xing chooses to retain the memories. Instantly, nearly a hundred various pill formulas appear in her mind; these are her capital for selling pills and making money in the future! Thinking about it is terrifying; it hasn't even been two days since arriving in Central Province, yet it's already forty thousand words.

Thanks to Shen Ba for the monthly ticket~ Thanks to Book Friend 20220918175316618 for the monthly ticket~ Thanks to Emil β for the monthly ticket~ Thanks to High School Girl Zhou Yingting for the monthly ticket~ Thanks to Lost in Glass Years for the monthly ticket~ Thanks to Book Friend 20200114221551553 for the monthly ticket~ Thanks to Book Friend 20211220005339940 for the monthly ticket~ (End of this chapter)